Get the Job Done: Ringing in the New Year with a family portrait session

Tomorrow on Jan. 1, 2010, I will be ringing in the New Year with a family portrait session! My client called yesterday hoping that she, her husband and her 2 year-old child would be able to do a "quicky session" before her husband got deployed in less than two weeks. I can't wait to see dad and child dressed in some fatigues! How cute is that!

My client told me that she and her husband initially had a relative take some photos over the holidays, but the photos didn't capture what they wanted, including a noncluttered background. She became the first client to date to take advantage of one of my new gift cheques offering $50 off a $150 session fee until 12/31/09.

I've included some of my favorite in studio family portrait shots that I took this past year:

My sister, her boyfriend and my nephew


Ted and his children Jade and Isaiah


Elrie, and her sons Mike and Tyler


I think this family session is a great way to start the new year. My "quicky session" model I crafted during the senior portrait season including one hour of studio time, two 8x10s, four 5x7s and a sheet of wallets has been selling like hot cakes. It's also been a great time saver for me as well because instead of editing 50 to 200 shots that may not be purchased, I only spend my time fully processing the photos that clients choose from their proof galleries. That results in a quick turn around for them and me. Since I'm still loving my work at The Denver Post as a full time lifestyles reporter, it was important for me to develop a photography workflow that fit in my already busy schedule.

Here's my hope that your New Year brings with it health, happiness, success, and as my instructor Russ Burden always says "the best light" possible for amazing images in 2010!

An Aside: Clients allergic to my studio!

Image credit: thecatzine.com

I never expected anything like this: Both of my clients on Saturday had allergic reactions to what I can only guess are my dogs and cat! My studio is in my basement, and while my pets aren't allowed down there, poor Mike and especially young Tyler were coughing, sneezing and having trouble breathing by the second hour into the shoot. I felt so bad, and I had no idea what to do.

Because of my own allergies and recently diagnosed asthma, I vacuum nearly every day during my pets shedding season, and I keep my medicine cabinet stocked with Claritin and Advair. Tyler was doing much better after a quick puff on his Advair, but I ended up cutting Mike's time in studio down before he had a full blown attack.

Thank goodness the last part of their shoot is scheduled to be outdoors on location. It boggles my mind that after two years of shooting in studio in my home, this is the first time I've ever had this situation happen. From now on, I will have to make it a normal part of my consultation to find out if potential clients may be allergic to my pets, because it definitely puts a terrible damper on their photo session experience. If you have pets, knowing how your clients will react to their dander is an important thing to consider! My client's mother is pleased with the shots, but that situation could have gone south very quickly! Pet owners, plan ahead!

From My Portfolio: Sensual, Not Pornographic

originally uploaded by Sheba Wheeler.

Over the weekend, I shot a boudoir session in my home studio for a client who wanted to surprise her husband serving in the war with a sensual Christmas gift. The above shot is one of my favorites from the set.

When shooting the nude form of a woman, it's important to accentuate natural curves and lines including those of the buttocks, breasts and waist line. I asked my client to cross her legs because I think it's more flattering to her waist and draws more attention to the curve of buttocks. Lifting her arms above her head gently lifts her breasts, while arching her back adds more curvature and flattens her abs. The clincher that really makes this image work is highlighting her tattoo as it snakes seductively along her form.

It's a very simple shot, but I think all the details add up to show that she is a woman without being pornographic.

This Weekend: Moving My Home Studio to the Basement

This weekend, I plan to take advantage of some down time in between assignments. I've been battling a terrible cold for the past week and it doesn't seem to want to let me go. So I'm going to take it easy and let my tired mind, body and eyes rest.

Come Monday, I will be back to work again -- this time photographing Auraria Higher Education Center staff. I've got a plan to take environmental type portraits of each staff member in their class rooms instead of making them pose for me in studio.

Until then, the only real project I have is to move my home studio down into my basement. Now that I'm finally alone in my house (I used to have three roommates), I have tons of space and I want to be able to fit it to my current lifestyle needs. I think the finished basement would be the perfect location for my home studio because it will be much easier for me to control the light.

I will take advantage of those white walls in the basement as well, using them as a a gallery for my larger prints. I do have one worry though...will all the lights and technology in use down there cause my circuit to trip? The basement doesn't have nearly enough power down there....ie, can't run the washer and dryer at the same time as a hair dryer in the bathroom. Maybe it's time for me to get a separate circuit breaker panel just for the basement.

Get the Job Done: Rain Forces Senior Portrait Shoot Inside

It is raining like cats and dogs today, which would otherwise be wonderful for an extremely dry and arid state like Colorado. But I'm bummed that the rain will force my senior portrait shoot with Nina inside. Maybe by the time we start this evening, it will have cleared up. But if not, I will just have to work my magic in my homemade studio.

When I asked Nina what kind of shots she was interested in, she emailed me these fun shots of Marilyn Monroe and asked if we could duplicate something like those:

Get the Goods: My New Home Studio

Interior designers say your home should reflect who you are. Well, mine certainly does now. The first thing people see as they walk through my front door is my new home studio which now boasts my backdrops, Alien Bees and Westcott Spiderlites, reflectors and other tools of the trade. I easily have enough room for a background light and at least two more key lights to create numerous lighting schemes and diagrams such as those seen here.

It doesn't take long before a burgeoning photographer gets tired of rearranging furniture in the living room to make way for a photo shoot. Now, granted some of the first great shots I captured actually (including the lovely shot of Teri and her daughter Avery which graces my banner) took place in a makeshift studio about the size of a walk-in closet in my entertainment room. I parceled off the space in front of the patio doors leading to my backyard, moving back the couch and other furniture. That's some back-breaking work!

While my budget won't currently allow me to rent a private studio, I spent the weekend transforming an unused sitting room in the front of my house into my new home studio. I had grand ideas about having a sitting room filled with shelves overflowing with books, comfy overstuffed chairs, mood lighting and a water fountain for relaxing. So much for good intentions. That room mostly sat empty, and I think I read in that area exactly twice.

Photographytips.com suggests that the studio should be at least big enough to photograph a person full length using a normal lens, and hopefully roomier if you've got the space. While the studio can be as complex as your space (or budget) will allow, it doesn't have to be for the creation of beautiful pictures, especially basic headshots. "Sometimes, all it taks is a single light, properly positioned, to create the appropriate mood for a fabulous picture." One of my favorite instructors told me that no one would ever be able to tell that a great portrait was taken at the bay windows inside your kitchen, in a corner in your living room or in a cleaned up section of your garage. My sitting room fit the bill and also had a large window for natural light. The room's high ceilings give me plenty of space to set up my backdrops and adequate space to separate my subject from the background.

This picture is a shot of the set I used to take beautiful and sexy boudoir shots of Teri seen in this gallery.

I've also added some of my own framed photos on the white walls to create an overall gallery-type feel. Oddly enough, I think it lends a great air of mystery and expectation for visitors to my home. As soon as people walk in, they can't wait to get in front of the lights or lounge in the chairs I use for props. And then the questions begin: "You take photos? How much do you charge? My family could use some portraits." This could be the cheapest advertising campaign yet for my business!

Need more ideas for setting up your own studio?
Use these tips from ehow.com, taking special note these warnings:

1) Color finishes on walls and ceiling will create an unwanted cast in color photographs.
2) Make sure the lighting you'll be using will not overload the circuit. To figure out the number of amps drawn by your equipment, divide the lamp wattage by the supply voltage.